Hunter dodges Nerf Bullet

No one knows why some cats eat foreign material. Things like silk plants, crayons, kids plastic toys, and ribbons don't taste good but of course they are fun to play with and chew on, and without an opposable thumb, things get swallowed.     My own cat, Pipsqueak, used to chew on, and occasionally ingest the spiral part of phone cords (this was before cell phones were invented).  I have a client who now keeps her hair scrunchies under lock and key (after hair scrunchie surgical removal last year).    In my career as a veterinarian, I have surgically removed many interesting items -or  "Foreign Bodies." from the GI tract of dogs and cats.     The list includes a barbie doll head, a cassette tape, a plastic dinosaur, sparkle balls, a sewing needle, and several phone cord spirals.

Recently, I saw a patient with a history of eating  NERF BULLETS.   The kids in the house thought this was great fun when the cat would chase and chew on the soft spongy bullets.  They would occasionally find a nerf bullet in the litter box, and never thought much of this, until last week, when Hunter was vomiting, had a painful belly,  and was not interested in his food.

The good news for Hunter and his family is that he did not need surgery (this time).  His body was again able to pass the bullet.  The really  important lesson is this:  just because a foreign body passes one time, does not mean that it will EVERY TIME. If you see foreign material passing in your cats stool, remove the offending item from your house. ( I've been assured that the nerf bullets  and gun are now being kept at grandma's house.) 

We may not understand why certain cats chose to swallow things that are not food.  We DO KNOW that if you have a cat that fits this description, expect them to be a  REPEAT OFFENDER!  Any cat toy small enough to be swallowed should be removed from the home.  Any toy with chewable parts (like eyeballs, or tails) or ribbons that dangle should be avoided. A good rule of thumb is that any toy smaller than a quarter is a FOREIGN BODY WAITING TO HAPPEN for a cat.  Most cat toys are safe, but not all.  And many things that our cats play with are not really cat toys to being with. 

 Hoping that all your cats are able to "dodge" the foreign body bullet, like Hunter did!
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic 

     

Cat treats and Baseball

What do Cat Treats and Baseball have in common?   I have 2 rules when it comes to treats for my cats.  One, a cat treat should serve a useful purpose , besides being tasty.  And two, I believe that cats should EARN their treats -treats should not be FREE!  I use the treats to get my cats off the couch and MOVING!

 My cats and I play an ALL-American game of baseball (OK, modified somewhat.)   I get to be  the major league pitcher, and they cover the  outfield.   I shake the dental treat jar, and they assume their positions.  I windup and throw.  They chase, attack, crunch and swallow.  And then prepare for the next ball -er... treat. Sometimes they catch a fly ball.   OK, sometimes I roll the ball toward the cat that is not quite so coordinated (Peabody).  He loves the game, but comes up short on catches unless I stack the deck a bit.  No one seems to mind this favoritism, least of all Peabody.

I expect that my cats think of this as a fun aerobic hunt- and-kill game. But  I see this as a way to keep them at a healthy weight, enriching their day with a natural hunting activity while cleaning their teeth one crunch at a time. Win-Win-Win. Oh, and it is really fun!

So now, what do I use as treats?  I use and recommend Purina DH. It is the only "treat" my cats receive.   It is a large round dry crunchy "ball" of kibble that is scientifically formulated to keep tartar from building up on the teeth-and the best part is that cats seem to LOVE DH.  It is fairly low in calories as well, which is a plus as most indoor cats, mine included,  tend to be a bit chubby.

So, as the New Year is just around the corner, and  your New Year Resolutions are under construction, consider adding a resolution like this one:  Every day I will engage  my cat in a game of  " chase and crunch".  It will be great for them in so many ways, and it will make you smile as well!

Let me know how your game of baseball is working at your house.  Please share this, if you have a cat loving friend.  Dr. Maureen Flatley, Fox Valley Cat Clinic

Bat is Positive for Rabies in Menasha

It is a fact that in Wisconsin, BATS can carry rabies...and  BATS can easily get into your home or my home...and a flying BAT is the perfect cat play thing -it flies, it squeaks, it squirms, it bites.  This adds up to DANGER.

I recently sent a bat in to be tested for rabies, as it got into a clients house, and the indoor cat played with it, and then killed it.  Unfortunately, the indoor cat also got bit by the bat.  Fortunately, the owner  had recently vaccinated their cat against this dangerous and deadly threat.  Luckily, THIS bat tested negative for rabies, but I have gotten positive results when testing other bats from the Fox Valley, under similar situations.

SO, when asked if an indoor cat really needs to be vaccinated against rabies the answer is a resounding YES PLEASE!  For the safety of your cat and the safety of your family members, keep this very important vaccinations current please!  Remember, 99.9% of rabies kills -cats AND people.

And if you know ANYONE that lets their cat outside, the risk is even greater, as racoons, skunks, fox and other wild animals also carry rabies in Wisconsin.  All it takes is ONE BITE for this virus to be transmitted from one animal to another.  ONE tiny little bite wound..... is it worth the risk?

Please forward this posting to someone who needs to understand the risks of NOT vaccinating their cats!
Thanks for listening,
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic

Mealtime Montras to live by

What meat does your cat seem interested in? -if you are cooking fish for dinner, are they right there watching?  If you make a chicken breast sandwich, do you have sudden helpers?  One of my cats LOVES liver.  I just have to open the container of fresh beef liver, and the cat appears out of nowhere.  A little close observation will usually yield YOUR  cat's answer.

"What should I feed my cat."  (I am asked this question several times every day.)  This is not a simple question to answer, as many cats will not eat what is good for them (but with persistence, you may be able to change their minds.)  Good cat nutrition is essential to keeping your cat healthy, and their weight under control.

It makes sense to feed the protein source that your cat actually wants.  It also makes sense to ROTATE different protein sources if you can.  Most beef/lamb/poultry products in cat food manufactured in the USA are sourced from the USA.  This may not be true for fish.  Fish sources could be international (China...) so be aware of this.  Some higher quality canned cat foods are made from human-grade meat sources, ALWAYS a good thing.   If your cat has skin allergies, you may want to stay away from beef.

"How much protein should be in my cat's food'"  The pet food companies will tell you that 35% is enough protein for your cat. And they will tell you that plant protein is fine.   Mother nature says 90%+ and MEAT is more appropriate for a carnivore.  Cats do best with high protein and low carbohydrate foods, what nature intended them to eat. 

Read the label:  If the food is called "Chicken Medely"  or Beef Stew", it could contain any and all meat sources.  Read the label closely.  Try to chose foods with only MEAT based proteins.  Rice gluten or Soy protein are PLANT based proteins, a cheap protein source, but NOT OK for a meat-eating animal.  By-products, altho a meat based protein source, should never be a first choice.

"How much should I feed." - Please do not follow the recommendations made by the pet food company.  Their primary goal is to sell more cat food, not feed YOUR cat appropriately.  The average 10# cat should be fed between 200-250kcal per day total.  You need to add in treats to this number.  AND you need to find out how many calories are in the food you are feeding.  The internet is the best reliable source for this information.  Or next time you are at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic we will help calculate this for you.

"Can I supplement with table food?"  YES, if you stay within the calorie limit, and feed this as a supplement, not a well balanced meal.   It must be human grade non-processed lean lightly cooked MEAT.  Chicken, turkey, beef liver, beef, pork, chicken gizzards/liver/heart.  Small chewable pieces, not seasoned.  NOT sandwich meat (processed), NOT sausage (processed), NOT ham (cured in salt).  I don't recommend dairy products like ice cream or cheese, as these are not sources of protein.

Do you want BRAND recommendations?  Feel free to stop into the clinic.  I have a large number of the most popular brands catagorized into EXCELLENT, GOOD, FAIR and DO NOT FEED, and we will happily share this with you.

Thanks for reading my blog- if you found it helpful, please share it with a friend :)
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic